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Brad Leon to resign from Memphis district, the seventh leader since Joris Ray took the helm last January

Originally posted on Chalkbeat by Laura Faith Kebede on February 14, 2020

A 7-year member of Shelby County Schools’ leadership team is resigning at the end of the month for a job with BlueCross BlueShield in Chattanooga.

Brad Leon, chief of strategy and performance management, has been with the Memphis school system since 2013, when then-Superintendent Dorsey Hopson hired him to lead the innovation department, which housed the district’s flagship school improvement program.

Leon’s departure is the seventh from Superintendent Joris Ray’s leadership team since he started as interim last January.

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Brad Leon(Photo: The Commercial Appeal)

During his tenure with the district, Leon led the creation of a scorecard for district-run and charter schools to measure test scores, academic growth, discipline rates, financial health and college readiness. That scorecard is the cornerstone of the district’s accountability for charter schools, including decisions to renew or revoke their agreements. He also played a significant role in creating the district’s new policy for charter schools, a multi-year effort that included negotiations between charter and district leaders.

“I value my experiences and friendships in Memphis and will forever treasure my time here championing the great work happening at Shelby County Schools,” Leon said in a district statement.

“Brad has been a great asset to our team, leading the creation of our Destination 2025 strategic plan, the School Performance Scorecard, and other strategic initiatives,” Ray said in the statement. “We wish him the best as he pursues this exciting new journey.”

Before Leon, the most recent departure from Ray’s cabinet was Jennifer Ervin, the district’s top lawyer, who left in December for a job at Clark Atlanta University. Kenneth Walker serves as interim general counsel for the district. Angela Carr, the former finance chief, left in September after 11 weeks in the post. Tutonial “Toni” Williams returned to the district to replace Carr.

Before joining Shelby County Schools, Leon was the the first regional executive director of Teach for America in Memphis from 2006 to 2010. In his most recent role with the district, he oversaw charter schools, testing, research, and data. His salary was $163,863 annually.